#Islamic_Governance 1. Is the Shari’ah outdated? • Islam views the human being as composed of instincts and needs continually facing problems in how to satisfy them. The Islamic texts came to address men and women as human beings, not just as individuals living in the seventh century Arabian Desert. The Islamic texts did not address humanity in relation to a particular time or place. Humans today are the same humans who lived 1400 years ago and will continue to be the same human in another 1400 years’ time. There is no doubt the world today is radically different from the one where Islam emerged and progressed in. The lifestyles of people nowadays are different to those of a century ago. In the past people would live in huts and today we have skyscrapers, but we still need houses and roofs over our heads. In the past Muhammad (saw) sent messengers to other rulers on horseback whereas today a message could be sent via e-mail, IM, fax or SMS. Muhammad (saw) and his companions fought many battles using horses, bows and arrows whereas today wars are still fought, but using ‘Smart’ technology, cruise missiles and satellite intelligence. In the past Muslims learnt astronomy so they could locate the Qibla wherever they went whereas today an electronic watch will do the same. This illustrates that humans, with respect to their needs, are the same and the problems that they face have not changed. Any change that we perceive is merely a change in the tools or the devices that humans use when solving their problems.Time alone is not enough to render a thought invalid, this is because ideas are never time specific. The revival of ancient Greek philosophy, art and culture was termed a renaissance in 16th Century Europe. Most of the legislation we find today across the Western world has its traditions in writings three millennia old, which are still considered valid today. For example:- The US Bill of Rights, passed in 1791, reflects the guarantee of due process which was taken from the Magna Carta in 1215.- Modern civil law was developed upon the theory of liability which has its origins in Roman law.- Common law, which is the principle of deciding cases by reference to previous judicial decisions has its origins in the Middle Ages in Roman law and influenced by Norman Saxon custom. Today it remains a source of legislation for the UK, US and Canada.From this perspective democracy would definitely be outdated due to its ancient origins. So the fact Islam emerged in seventh century Arabia is not an argument to suggest modern inapplicability. Since the Islamic texts deal with humans and their problems, and not the tools that are used to solve their problems, the Islamic Shari’ah is as relevant to humanity today as it was when it elevated the people of Arabia.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 06:02:35 +0000
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